This invention relates to a process for attaching, in front and rear regions of a disposable garment such as a diaper comprising an outer layer web, an inner layer web and a liquid-absorbent core interposed between these inner and outer webs, indicator elements which are visually recognizable from the exterior of the outer layer web.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-54536 A discloses a pull-on disposable diaper including a patterned sheet and a process for making the same. This diaper comprises a liquid-impervious backsheet lying on the side facing away from a wearer's body (outer layer web), a liquid-pervious topsheet (inner layer web) lying on the side facing the wearer's body, and a liquid-absorbent core interposed between these sheets. This diaper has a front waist region (front region), a rear waist region (rear region), a crotch region (intermediate region) extending between these waist regions, a waist-opening and a pair of leg-openings. The patterned sheet adapted to be visually recognizable from the exterior of the diaper is attached to an inner surface of the outer sheet.
The process for making this diaper comprises a step of attaching the patterned sheet in which the patterned sheet having an area smaller than the outer sheet is attached to the inner surface of the outer sheet at a predetermined location, a step of securing the core in which the core is secured to the inner surface of the outer sheet and a step of joining the sheets in which the inner sheet is placed upon and joined with the upper surface of the core. In the step of attaching the patterned sheet, a plurality of the patterned sheets are successively fed onto the inner surface of the outer sheet so as to be spaced one from another by a predetermined dimension in a longitudinal direction of the outer sheet and then these patterned sheets are attached to the outer sheet by means of a hot melt adhesive.
According to the process for making the diaper as disclosed in the above-cited Publication, a plurality of the patterned sheets must be individually fed onto and attached to the inner surface of the outer sheet with each pair of the patterned sheets being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined dimension in a transverse dimension. Feeding and attaching of these patterned sheets inevitably doubles time and labor and require the additional device as well as steps associated with such feeding as well as such attaching. Consequently, it is impossible to manufacture the diapers at a low cost.